Sanford Speaks Out is the latest blog sensation written, edited and produced by Sanford D. Horn, a writer and educator. Sanford will write about issues of the day covering a myriad subjects: politics, education, culture, sports, religion and even food.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Swamp Draining Must Include VA, FBI

Swamp Draining Must Include VA, FBI

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

January 24, 2017

During the 2016 presidential campaign GOP candidate and
ultimate winner Donald Trump oft-repeated he would “drain the swamp,” meaning
he would rid Washington, DC of the dead weight, hangers-on, and generally
useless bureaucrats taking up time, space, and taxpayer dollars.

Two of the swamp denizens needing liberating from their
government homes are within the Department of Veterans Affairs and the FBI.
President Trump’s nominee to head the VA, David Shulkin, should not be confirmed
by the US Senate, and Trump should rescind the vote of confidence given FBI
Director James Comey and request his resignation.

Comey, 56, a Yonkers, NY native, earned his JD from the
University of Chicago Law School and is a 2013 appointee of Barack Obama. Prior
government experience includes his work as US Attorney for the Southern
District of New York, followed by serving as US Deputy Attorney General.

Comey demonstrated a level of incompetence in the manner
in which he handled Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal and server investigation.
Despite having enough evidence to call for the indictment of the former
Democrat candidate for president, Comey presented reasons why he could, but
then pivoted by giving her a pass. Comey claimed such an indictment would derail the 2016
presidential election. It seems if someone is indictable, he or she should
actually be indicted, regardless of its impact. Comey should go.

Shulkin, currently the VA’s Undersecretary of Health, is
a 57-year-old Bala Cynwyd, PA native, and another Obama appointee since 2015,
has a strong background in hospital administration as the chief executive of
numerous hospital systems, including the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York
City. The board certified internist earned his medical degree from the Medical
College of Pennsylvania (since merged with Drexel University). Were he to
garner Senate confirmation, Shulkin would become the first non-veteran to head
the VA.

On paper, Shulkin seems to be an acceptable nominee for
this cabinet post. However, he is mired deep in the swamp to the point where he
is more of the problem than the solution. It’s not even his fault as much as he
is simply a cog in an old wheel rife with such bureaucratic chaos that in Congressional
hearings Shulkin provided false information on issues he should have been more
aware.

Testifying before a Congressional committee regarding the
continuing employment of criminals at the VA, Shulkin claimed the miscreants
had been fired, when in reality, they had not. Shulkin did not know this, yet
an aide, who did, had to inform Shulkin of the truth. Later on that same day,
Shulkin informed the House members that a particular chief of staff who had
been doling out controlled substances to friends had been relieved of her
authoritative position. This time Shulkin was not misinformed, but he simply
lied, as this VA employee was not only still on the job, but had been promoted to
oversee quality control. Talk about the fox guarding the hen house.

It’s time to hear President Trump utter those words he
made so famous – “You’re fired!”

While Washington, DC may have been built on a swamp, it
need not continue to be filled with creatures from the black lagoon. Although I
don’t have a replacement to recommend in Comey’s stead, I would offer to
President Trump the name of US Representative Tulsi Gabbard for the Department
of Veterans Affairs.

Gabbard, 35, is a native of American Samoa, currently
representing Hawaii’s Second District. The Democrat is the first American
Samoan and Hindu member of Congress and is serving in her second term after
serving in the Hawaii state legislature, first elected at age 21, the youngest
to serve in that body. Gabbard is a graduate of Hawaii Pacific University with
a BS in Business Administration.

In addition to her business degree, Gabbard is more than
qualified to serve as the head of the VA due to her military and medical
backgrounds as well. An Army veteran since 2004, Gabbard has earned the rank of
Major. She served in an Iraqi combat zone in a field medical unit as a
specialist for a 12 month tour of duty. She continues her military service in
the Hawaii Army National Guard. In fact, Gabbard opted out of a reelection
campaign to her Hawaii legislative seat, choosing instead to continue her then
full time military service.

Although Gabbard is a social liberal, she has solid armed
forces bona fides, and serves on both the House Armed Services and Foreign
Affairs committees. Gabbard previously opposed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia
calling for the US to hold that country accountable for its overt and covert
involvement in global terrorism. Gabbard also opposed the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, an agreement that Trump opposed and withdrew from on January 24.

US Rep. Gabbard would be a breath of fresh air at the
helm of the VA and President Trump would do well to appoint her – not because he
could “check some boxes” due to her demographics, but because of her clearly desirable
qualifications. She understands the needs of veterans, has a military, medical,
and business background as well as a desire to not just serve, but accomplish.